Eglin coastline gets 40 new buoys

Aids to Navigation Team members from Coast Guard Station Pensacola prepare to post a restricted area buoy March 11 at Eglin Air Force Base. The Coast Guard posted approximately 40 buoys along the base’s coastline from Post’l Point to the Bayview Club.

SAMUEL KING JR. / USAF

By STAFF REPORTS / Daily News

Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at 03:17 PM.

NICEVILLE — U.S. Coast Guard Station Pensacola recently posted about 40 new buoys along Eglin’s coastline, from Post’l Point to Bayview Club.

The buoys were set up in accordance with a federal law enacted two years ago that allows military bases to protect their coastlines.

But the buoys are not intended to restrict fishing activities in those areas, said Mike Spaits, environmental spokesman for Eglin.

“We’re not enforcing keeping people away from the shoreline unless we’re in an elevated force condition,” Spaits said.

The anchored buoys, which are spread about 700 feet apart, “are a force protection enterprise by the base to identify Eglin waterways,” according to the Eglin website.

Vessels may access the buoyed areas but could be subject to identification checks by Air Force patrol boats. During times of high security threats against Eglin or Hurlburt Field, all entry, transit, anchoring or drifting within the restricted areas will be prohibited without permission from the respective base commander or authorized representative.

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NICEVILLE — U.S. Coast Guard Station Pensacola recently posted about 40 new buoys along Eglin’s coastline, from Post’l Point to Bayview Club.

The buoys were set up in accordance with a federal law enacted two years ago that allows military bases to protect their coastlines.

But the buoys are not intended to restrict fishing activities in those areas, said Mike Spaits, environmental spokesman for Eglin.

“We’re not enforcing keeping people away from the shoreline unless we’re in an elevated force condition,” Spaits said.

The anchored buoys, which are spread about 700 feet apart, “are a force protection enterprise by the base to identify Eglin waterways,” according to the Eglin website.

Vessels may access the buoyed areas but could be subject to identification checks by Air Force patrol boats. During times of high security threats against Eglin or Hurlburt Field, all entry, transit, anchoring or drifting within the restricted areas will be prohibited without permission from the respective base commander or authorized representative.